- Australian Shepherd Information
- | Temperament
- | Health
- | Origin
- | Maintenance
- | Ideal Environment
- | Photos
Australian Shepherd Question and Answer
Dog Training!If you're having problems training your dog or getting control, you should read our review of DogProblems.com. Adam will do whatever it takes to help you whip your dog into shape. I've used them to help with my Great Dane as well as help friends train their dogs. It's the first place I go to help answer users Questions. Many training issues are too extensive to answer in this forum, which is why I refer a lot of the load to his site. |
Discuss the Australian Shepherd breed on our Forum!
Ask a QuestionAustralian Shepherd Q&A
Please help! I have a 9 year old female aussie, named Oreo. She has been having a really rough time as of lately. She just moved back in with me after several years of staying at my parents house (was renting couldn't have dog), just had a small tumor removed from the outside of her back leg (biopsy showed that it was a mast cell tumor, stage 2), and now is afraid of the furnace which is new to her.
I am absolutely at my wits end. She is such a good, well behaved dog but this afraid of the furnace thing is UNBELIEVABLE. I have spent all of my time researching & reading about mast cell tumors. The tumor was successfully removed (clean margins) and I am switching her diet to a home cooked one, with vitamins and supplements to keep the cancer from coming back, hopefully.
As it is just getting colder and the furnace is kicking on more, she is becoming more and more nervous. It really isn't loud, she actually sits and listens for it. It seems that her fearful behavior is starting to spread to other areas too. I don't know how to stop this! I have tried ignoring her, changing her attention from the furnace to treats or her ball, she wants nothing to do with either. She is clinging to me, panting, scratching trying to get into my lap, climbing up furniture and on and on.
I don't think this is possible, but I want to make sure and ask... can mast cell cancer cause a change in dog behavior? Is there a physical reason she is becoming more and more neurotic? I would appreciate any ideas, suggestions and advice. Thanks in advance!
I have 2 Mini/Toy wonderful Australian Sheperds and they only seem to eat when I am around. If I need to leave them in our back yard while I leave I sometimes put their food out with them and they don't seem to touch it at all. Is this normal for Aussies? Are they nervous when left alone and just don't want to eat? I always seem to have to be there when they eat. Is this normal?
We have a 6 month old female Mini Aussie and she barks whenever anyone besides our family comes into the house. We have tried telling her to be quit and rewarding not barking or growling but nothing works. She also nips if the people don't leave. We have tried a muzzle for that, but that doesn't solve the problem. What should we do to stop the guarding behavior?
We have a 9 yr old female Aussie and we are think about getting another, but were wondering how 2- female dogs will get along ?
We have just adopted a 14 month old Aussie who is absolutely wonderful. My husband and I have 3 children. Our Aussie has taken well to the kids and follows me around as soon as I come home from work. My husband has been wonderful with him but for some reason our Aussie is timid around him and will leave him as soon as distracted. We have tried rewarding him with treats but this only works for a short time. Several days before this behavior occured my husband was swating a fly with a towel and our Aussie ran out of the room to retreat. He has been nervous around him since. HELP! The rest of the family feels so bad.
You might also try having your husband be the only one who feeds the dog so that he sees him as the source of his food, along with any treats. My 4 yr. old Aussie has always ran out of the room if I so much as pick up a flyswat & he has NEVER been hit with one, or anything else for that matter.
That's too bad, but I wouldn't worry tons. Try having your husband kneel and feed the dog treats himself as he gently pets your Aussie. Then move slowly to him standing, still petting and praising your Aussie for being brave.
Eventually, get to him doing these fast motions while you praise the pup for being so strong and beautiful.
Dogs don't see colors wonderfully, because their eyes were meant to see motions, so they can track prey with ease.
I hope this helps, and try to show the dog the family interacting happily with your husband. It might make him more confident.
Best of luck.
How long do the females stay in heat? And how long does it take to find out if they are pregnant or not? And how long does their pregnancy last?
I have an Astralian shepherd puppy thats 14 weeks old and I was wondering if aussies lose energy the older they get?
Somtimes its What breed they are. Some dogs are really hyper even in old age.
They need to be walked on a regular basis...my female assie likes to have 2 walks, morning & night. They look forward to it.
Early on, I started stuffing pieces of bones like Milk bones into a bleached cow bone (When you buy them, they are already stuffed).
So when it is empty, just keep using it by stuffing your own.
It keeps her busy, and it is her job. Helps iwth boredom.
Also, throwing a ball in the yard or beach really helps. She is a great retriever!!
Australian Shepherds are a very high energy breed and require alot of excersize as well as mental stimulation. If they have a "job" to do and are excersized on a daily basis, they seem to level out a bit.
Do australian sheperd puppies ears stand straight up?
I had an Australian Shepherd whose ears both stood up on their own - never knew why.
australian shepherds ears dont stand up all the way. If you herd that I bet the people were talking about part of their ears standing up. Usually the part closest to the head stands while the rest fold over
My puppies ears didn't stand straight up.
are these good dogs for families?
Yes aussies are very good dogs!
Our Aussie is great with our two young boys. If they get rough he stays in play mode. May nip lightly at times but ussually when they are wrestling with him. Their friends come in the house and he leaves them alone.
Aussies are excellent family dogs!
My Aussie had no dog odor throughout his 14.5 year lifespan. He had a beautiful wavy coat, I've not seen many like him. Is this normal for the breed, or does this indicate other influences? I would like to know as I am in pursuit of another puppy and would like to find another with some of his good traits.
My aussie also has a wavy, cowlicky coat and does not smell at all. She is an outside dog. She is a joy.
My 8 month old Aussie does not have any odor.
My Aussie is 12 yrs old and has been sporadically pacing and panting, whining at me and acting anxious. I have taken her to the vet and they are running blood work to rule issues out. In the meantime, I'm just wondering if this is typical behavior on older Aussie's. So far as I can tell she's not hurting, just slowing down. This anxiousness doesn't happen every day, but at least once a week for the past month.
This could be a sign of a weakening heart. My dog recently passed away due to heart failure due to my failure to notice any slight signs of uneasiness and take action. Best wishes for you and your pet.
My australian shepherd is 4 yrs old, we gave her a rawhide chew and it made her very sick, we,ve had her to the vet's and he said that she is OK now, but we can't get her to eat hardly anything.I buY her the all natural dog food ( Racher Ray, Kibble Select, etc. )and she is sticking her nose up at it. Do you have any suggestions?
Try a litle Nutracal on a spoon. You can purchase it at your vet. It gives the dog vital nutrients and stimulates the appetite.
Try Newman's Own Organic and if she still won't eat, try softening it with some chicken broth (just make sure it's not salty bouillon).
Hi, I too have an Aussie that had the same situation, a couple years back. The only way I got him to eat, is can dog food, and our food mixed with some dry.He also had chews alot , in his puppyhood. He is still very picky, and is now 4 years old. Good luck".
I adopted a young pup from a shelter (they said he was about four months) and they told me he was an Australian Shepherd. I have my doubts that he is purebred because his coat is pretty short. He definitely has the right markings (blue merle, one of his eyes is bicolored). Is it likely that he is not purebred? I love him one way or the other.
Since you got him from a shelter it likely that he is not purebred. But the aussie traits may still dominate. We have an Aussie/McNabb cross and he has turned out to be the best dog we have ever owned. He is short coated blue merle too. Very obedient, good with our kids, protective of our property and has been quick to learn. Good luck with your boy!
I have a 5 month australian sheperd pup and her ears are very erect will they stay this way ? I noticed she looks like the dog (Cody) so I believe I did get a pure bred.
My 6 mo. old mini aussie has pricked ears that stand up like that. Her sister does too. It's not breed standard, but I like the way they stand up. :)
My dog's ears did the same thing when she was a puppy. We tried taping them like the breeder instructed. She hated it. We finally gave up and her ears stick up. She doesn't look like a normal Aussie, but now we can't imagine her looking any different way. That's just part of her personality. (We decided it really didn't matter.) Good luck!
If you got your dog from a breeder, you should be able to contact that person for help with this. If not and you're sure this is a purebred Aussie, you may need o "train" the ears to stay down. I had to do this with my dog who is just under a year. Do it right away, the sooner the better and easier it will be. Get some medical tape, and tape a nickel to the underside tip of the ear. Make sure to use plenty of tape. I took a small piece and folded it in on itself for each side of the nickel, then I placed the nickel on the inside tip of the ear and wrapped it with several pieces of tape. It takes a bit of doing but it seems to work. Leave it on until your puppy gets it off. If he gets it off right away, do it again. This will need to be done until the ears stay down on their own. Some people use a special glue to do this, called "Tear Mender". You glue the tip of the ear to the cheek, but my dog hated it and it didn't work. I finally tried the nickel thing and that did the job.
Do Australian shepherd come in just about solid black with a little white?
Yes.
I just adopted a female austrailian shepherd from the county pound we believe she is three months old. Her eyes seem to be lazy is this something common with this breed?
No! Aussies should be very alert. Are you sure he is getting enough protien to eat? He may have worms if he hasn't been wormed with the right wormer. OR he may not be purebred. Alot of breeders have other breeds like kelpies, Border Collies ect, that, by mistake their females get bred by the wrong male. If your Aussie is registered you can DNA him to see if he is by the right sire.
My Australian shepherd is 4 months old and I don't know how to get his energy out. He gets 4-5 long walks a day and plays with our other dog but he still has tons of energy. Suggestions?
best suggestion; take him/her to mans best friend.
I adopted a now 2 year old Aussie(?) from the local shelter. His body looks Aussie- right down to the way he wiggles his butt and tiny "knub" of a tail. However, he is golden color, with a white face, one blue eye/one brown, and partial "eyeliner" around each eye. Can pure Aussies come in this color, even if it is considered a color fault?
You could have a "dilute" color Aussie. This does happen, although not accepted in the show ring. If parents are not properly matched, a "dilute" puppy can come of it. It is like a merle, but without the actual darker spots, be it liver or black spots, just the lighter color-which sounds like your golden color. Otherwise it could be a mix.
Yes, Aussies can come in this color.It may be a red merle Aussie, though I don't know what your Aussie looks like. I have an aussie/German Shepherd mix who is "Best friends" with my friend from school's purebred Aussie. His Australian Shepherd looks like a Border Collie, as did his last one. His new puppy, Rosie, is lack and white, not at all looking like an Aussie! Australian Shepherds look like mutts. In fact, they weren't considered a breed until a recent number of years ago! Aussies do come in many colors.
We rescued a female shepherd about 2 months ago from the local shelter. She wasn't in very good physical shape when we got her and I noticed when she squat to pee her hind legs would shake. Well, she's in much better shape now (she actually has a waist and more energy) but her hind legs still shake when she squats to pee. Is this normal or is there an issue?? She's on the bigger end of the breed at 60 lbs the doctors think shes 5-6 yrs. Is there anything to do?
I have an aussie that is nearing 7 months standing about 19" tall and weighing aprox 35 lbs. is this normal for the breed, and at waht age are they generally considered fully grown
We have an australian shepherd that is four now. Her instinct to protect the family and herd strangers out of her house is extreme. She has the fastest run, circle and nip you can imagine. She listens to us in every other instance, with the exception of her low tolerance for strangers. Anyone have a success story with an aggressive aussie that they love?
Aussies have the instincts of cattle dogs. They will try to herd, as in nipping, small children around the ankles the way they would herd cows or sheep.
Aussies have a tendency to herd anything that moves to include people outside their master(s). For the Most part it is normal so long as it is not agressive behavior as in the dog is being what one would call viscious. Working with the dog with other people around is the only way around that. Aussies are smart but can be stubborn especially when they are adults (like any other dog). Like the "Dog Whisperer" says, let your dog know it is unwanted behavior. You as the "pack leader" as he would say need to claim the people over to visit in a sence. As the alpha you need to take control. Good Luck
what is the normal litter size for a (miniature) australian shepherd?
i have a 13 week old australlian shepard i live in WA now and im moving to MS will he be able to adjust to the heat, and humidity?
I have an almost 8 yr. old male australian shepherd and I live in southeast texas where the temp. in the summer time gets 102 heat index. However my dog stays in the house and gets walked twice a day. Because of the heat and sometimes the mosquitos we have decided to have him be an "inside dog".
I have a 6 year old black tri australian shepherd is that to old to start breeding it to have puppies? What other colored aussies could I breed it with so there will be no defects?
Any tri aussie can be bred with any other tri or merle. The merles are either blue or red. Aussies who are merles have more variation in their coloring with colors that are mixed or spotted in appearance. Bi or tri aussies have two or three separate and distinct colors. Two merles cannot be crossed without the risk of serious defects, including blindness and/or deafness.
A color that most commonly has Aussies have ear problems is Red merle. It looks kind of orangish. But that's all I know.
my 4 month old australian shepherd is 31lbs and is 19" tall.could he be mixed with another breed?or is this the normal weight and height of an aussie?
That does seem to be awfully tall for a four month old, but if you will go to the following link you can find out all you need to know about an Australian Shepherd.
http://asca.org/About+Aussies/Breed+Standard
i have a 7month old male. He weighed 40lbs approx 3 weeks ago. is this a normal weight for his age?
This is absolutely a normal weight for a 7 month old male...you will find male dogs weighing as much as 60-70 lbs although that would be a large dog for the breed. Most of my males full grown will weigh 50-55 lbs. That is normal, although you will find adults males weight 40-45. Your male is almost full grown at 7 months
Not sure, but I have a 6 1/2 month old aussie male that weighed 46lbs 8 oz 3 weeks ago - I do believe that yours and mine are at the TOP end of the weight scale ... mine's not at all fat, though, he's just HUGE for an aussie - he's already taller than my mom's 6 yr old female who's more 'normal' sized. (she outweighs him though - but that's another story...)
My male Aussie is 2yrs old and His ears stand straight up like a german shepherds. Of all the pics i've seen of aussies...i have yet to see one with ears like his..Could it be he doesnt want to miss anything?
My mini aussie can prick her ears sometimes too...
I just took in as a foster parent an Aussie with incredibly huge ears! It looks like he's going to fly away! He is also 2. According to some websites, prick ears can be corrected before the age of 1. But I am no expert!!
My red-tri aussie has prick ears too. He is absolutely gorgeous the way he is, we did not tape or glue them. He was bred as a mini but he is 46 pounds so as a male he is in between mini and standard. We love him so, and he is really really smart!!
Prick ears tend to be more common in the smaller sized Aussies. One of mine has prick ears and it just adds to his personality.
Yes, my dogs ears are up also. Ive heard that Aussies with higher set ears are more apt to have prick ears.It's more common than one may think but rarely seen because many breeders or owners train the ears to go down with tape or glue during the first year.My breeder suggested it to me but I liked him the way he was.
Our Aussie has prick ears also. He is our 5th but the first with upright ears. I am glad to know it happens. I thought he had some Border Collie in him as he is a black tri-color.
Those are called "prick" ears and are rare, but possible, in Australian Shepherds. They develop within the first year or two depending on the conditions that the puppy grows up in. Hot weather = prick ears b/c this is how they loose heat, but it is rare and genetic.
I have a 2 1/2 yr female and she has had submissive peeing since I got her. I have two older brother that she does it too, no dad...Is is beacuse they like to domenate?? How do you stop this peeing?
the peeing is a sign of a submissive dog and yes there is a way of combatting it. this form of submission can be won over with slow but friendly advances of your older brothers or any male figure for that matter.first get a bunch of her favorite treats and instead of giving them to her, ask any male friends, male family members, or male strangers met on walks if they'd like to help you train your pup. with palms open and the treat in the center, allow them to feed her a tasty treat.by introducing the treat, you will be conditioning her to not be 'as submissive' and making the experience a positive one for her. just make sure if it looks like she is fearful (no tail wagging or wiggling, intense stare, or baring teeth). if she is displaying any of these signs do not continue and try to play with her to bring her out of that fearful state of mind.my german shepherd experienced the same symptoms and over a few weeks time, she was able to overcome it and now jumps and bounces on everyone happily...without the mess ^_^
I just adopted an Australian Shepherd that is 8 years old and has been in a rescue agency since his owner died 2 months ago. He prefers to poop in the house rather than outdoors. Can he be re-trained, and if so, how?
Instead of scolding after the poo has occurred, I chose to reward for going outside with a treat. After watching my aussie male for habits, I have his 'poo and pee' habits, at least after eating, down. He pees immediately after coming out of the kennel in the morning, he gets a treat. I feed him immediately after he tinkles. He poos immediately after eating. This did not happen right away - I started putting him in his kennel after he would eat his breakfast for 10 minutes, let him out to go poo/pee, and if he didn't go, I returned him to the kennel for another 10 minutes. This way I wouldn't miss any accidents, or at least minimize the occurance rate of accidents. Also, when he begins to eliminate - pee or poo - I repeat the words "Go Potty". Firmly, slowly, but gently. He will now tinkle on command - or at least try - and he gets a treat every time. I will eventually remove the treats, but since we've been at this only 2 weeks, I will continue for at least a few months.
buy a kennel to put him in. it will natrually train him to hold it. dogs do not like to urinate or poo where they sleep. putting him in a kennel will keep him from peeing or pooing untill you let him outsied. i suggest you put him in the kennel after you feed him. and whenever you feel, you can take him outside and let him do his business. trust me this is the most effective way. just keep doing it and eventually he will let you know when he has to go by whinning and scratching on the door. this is how i trained my aussie.
You should be able to retrain him in a month or so. The key is patience and repetition. Every SINGLE time he poops in the house, calmly take him to it, put his nose very close and tell him “no” in a very firm voice then immediately take him outside and use a keyword. I use “go potty.” It’s important to remain calm. If you start to act frustrated, he will become confused and not understand that it’s about the poo. When he does go potty outside, reward him with praise and treats. The key is to do it every single time, not just when you catch him doing it.
Our Australian Shepherd is 14 months old. We cannot get our 3 year old cat to even come in the house if the dog is in the house. Any suggestions?
Try putting the cat in a carrier( to feel safe) and bring it in the room with the dog . do it everyday for a little while so they get a chance to smell each others sent . supervise staying calm and in charge . This works from expierence ...... If you just ignore this it will stay this way .
kittens and puppies raised together usually get along quite well in these circumstances. however, if the cat is older and is being introduced to a dog for the first time it can be a traumatic experience for the cat. only time and patience will tell in this case and a try to give as much love between all your pets equally during this time of transition. one day you might find you kittie and pup playing together without you noticing.
It will just take time, don't worry just ignore it, not the cat but it's attitude, giving the cat enough attention to not feel jealous.
I`m not sure if there is a fix for this. My mother hasn`t seen her cat much since she got an inside dog and she`s tried a lot of things. From my own personal experiences, I`ve found cats do well if they are introduced to dogs when they are kittens. Older cats generally seem to not like dogs and since I`m not a cat guy, I have no clue how to socialize them……